Blogging This Old House: Recycled, Repurposed Nontoxic House

We're always interested in ways how to make our homes greener. Well, Linda and Mike Lessner made this quest a way of life when they purchased their 1940 Cape Cod home. The October issue of This Old House features the article The Recycled, Repurposed, Nontoxic House and tells how the Lessners renovated their new home and made it an eco-friendly wonder.

The renovation began with a six-week deconstruction which entailed saving parts of the home for reuse. Several parts of the house not used for the reconstruction were then donated to Habitat for Humanity.

Creating an energy efficient home involved insulating the attic and crawl space, installing two tankless hot-water units which heat water on an as needed basis, solar panels on the roof and Energy Star appliances throughout the home.

The kitchen contains recycled tiles, the interior paint is non-VOC and a ton of windows throughout the home reduce the need for lamps during the day. Much of the wood flooring throughout the home was removed before the deconstruction and reinstalled afterwards.

The end result was a beautiful home which the Lessners and their four children felt good about. To read more about their 13-month renovation project, visit TOH online.